Short Corona, 4.5” x 44 ring gauge / $27.30 bought in tin of 4, Burn’s
You might be asking didn’t Dave just review this cigar yesterday? And didn’t you already do a preview of it? The answer to both of those questions is yes. We didn’t really plan to review the same cigar this week it just happened to work out that way. You can read about the makeup and beginings of the cigar on Dave’s post, he does a great job explaining it. I purchased a tin of these from Maxamar’s, smoked them and bought a couple more tins from Burn’s when they got more in. So this review cigar was my fifth production one smoked.
The wrapper on this sample was medium dark brown in color with a bit of darker mottling. There were lots of oils present but not as much tooth as I’ve seen on other Liga’s. There were some noticeable veins but it didn’t detract from the cigar. The cap is a simple twisted pigtail. The band is very similar to the other Ligas but the paper was whiter and smoother. From the wrapper I got an intense aroma of barnyard with some leather and wood coming from the foot. The cigar was fairly firm to the touch without any soft spots. After clipping it and taking a cold draw I got the tastes of chocolate and cinnamon with a great draw.
Lighting up the cigar brought about a lot of spice on both the tongue and retrohale. After taking a few more puffs on it I noted the flavors of chocolate, coffee, leather and earth. The draw was just perfect and it produced lots of smoke. I would classify this cigar in the upper end of medium in regards to strength.
I really didn’t notice a lot of change in flavors as I moved into the second third. This could be due to this sample or the fact that I was recovering from a cold. The spice did tone down a bit but never went away. The draw continued to be perfect. Like Dave experienced the construction was not what I usually get in a mixed filler cigar. The burn line was almost perfectly straight, the ash while not holding on forever fell off in chunks and I wasn’t spitting bits of tobacco out.
The cigar finished off strong with flavors similar to the other two thirds. The spice did start coming back and bit and I did get a slight nicotine hit.
Overall I would say that this is hands down the best mixed filler cigar I’ve ever had. I really enjoy this cigar with a cup of coffee on the rare mornings I get to do that. I agree with Dave that the flavors on this cigar are closer to the regular Ligas than the Undercrown is. I think almost anyone could enjoy it as it wasn’t too strong. I also think it is a great vehicle for someone who might be a little apprehensive of the price to give the Liga line a try.
Body: 7/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 6/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
I love the fritas, the only bit that bother’s me is the price. DE is not charging too much, they cost what they cost, but there are a ton of great cigars in the $4-6 price range that the fritas are competing with in my head when I consider buying more of them. I will of course, I just can’t forget to keep peeking in the bargain bin at my B&M.